Continuous-action rotary engine.



} CONTINUOUS ACTION ROTARY ENGINE.

T YGARD.

APPLICATION FIRED JULY 14, 1900,

Patented Aug. .12, 1913.

nrrnn snr 11 PAT JAMES WALLACE TYGARD, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGN'OR OF ONE- THIRD T0 HENRY A. WISE WOOD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CONTINUOUS-ACTION ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 12,1913.

Application filed July 14, 1900. Serial No. 23,583.

Y '0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES lVALLAon 'lroiun), a citizen of the United States residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of illlegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Continuous-Action 'lotary Engine, whereby the cycle of action in common use in such engines and known as the Otto cycle, of introduction, com pression, expansion, and exhaust, shall be improved and divided, each division operating continuously and independently, co-

ordinately with relation to each other, sub-- stituting for the cycle described above an action of continuous successive sequence.

My invention is also applicable, by slight modification to be adapted and used as a rotary pump or compressor, and motor for elastic fluids; and may also be adapted and used so as to be operated by steam or other expanding medium.

My invention also relates to a simplification and in'1 )1'ovement of the rotary internal combustion engine described in United States Letters Patent No. 619,004, February 7th, 189.).

My invention has for its objects; to provide a gas or oil engine in which the cycle of operations producing expansive combustion within the motor, shall be arranged in an improved method or system, whereby the cyclical system in common use, shall be perfected and improved so as to produce an action which is independent, continuous, eo-

ordinate and in regular successive sequence; to so simplify the construction of the type of rotary engine described in the above mentioned patent, that the entire cycle of its operation may occur within a single annular groove or chamber: to arrange its parts in such manner that the expansion attained is utilized to such extentthat-the conversion of the heatencrgy into motion, shall obv-ia'te necessity for water jacket.- or other cooling devices, and the reduction in pressure and temperature of the exhaust products shall render their noise unobjection'able: to increase the fuel economy of combustion niotors; to render reversal of the engiri'es rot'ation possible. without stopping or interrupting the operations producing com'bustlon gines, and the air necessary for its complete combustion within an inclosed chamber.

Reference is to be had to the accompanyingdrawings which illustrate the preferred forms of the invention and in which Figure l is a longitudinal central sectional view of one form of the invention; F ig. 2 is a sectional View on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

A gas or oil engine constructed to embody these improvements is shown in sectional elevation in Fig. l, and preferably comprises a base plate 1 having substantial bearings 3 3 in which is journaled the main shaft 2 of the engine. Mounted on the main shaft are two cooperating pieces or sections 9 and 10. ()ne of said pieces 10 is provided with an annular groove 14, while the other piece 9 is provided with a number of pistons 11 which fit into the annular groove. The annular groove 14: is provided with a number of dividing means comprising rotary valves 0 abntments 6 which are cut away or made hollow, and are turned or rotated by gearing 7 and 8 preferably in the same manner as shown in the patent previously referred to to allow the pistons to move past them.

To provide a reversal of the rotary motion an arrangement preferably is employed, so that. when rotary motion in one direction is desired, the valve casing will be fixed or anchored to the stationary part of the engine frame 1 and the portion carrying the pistons will be caused to revolve; or on the other hand when rotary mot-ion is desired in the opposite direction, the part carrying the pistons will be anchored or fixed so that the valve casing 10 will then be rotated or turned in the opposite direction. To secure this result, the part 41 carrying the pistons preferably is splined or fixed to-the main shaft 21.: while the valve casing 1 0 is journa'led looselv thereon being held in plaoc'against side thrusts by a transverse key 38 and suitable friction arbsonbi-ng de-vices. For anchoring or fixing the desired part to the frame work of the machine so as to secure rotary motion in the. desired direction, a double clutch arrangement 34 and 35 may .be employed, comprising a plece 33 which can be moved by a suitable handle 32 in opposite directions, so that when moved along the bed plate in one direction, one set of clutch faces will he rbrought into engagement to fasten or' anchor the valveowing 10 to the irame, while if moved in the opposite direction a second set of clutch faces will be brought into engagement to anchor the piece 9 carrying the pistons in the disk 4, to the stationary frame of the machine.

In order to maintain a constant speed of rotation, even when there is 'a considerable variation in the work to be performed by the engine, when the engine is employed as an explosion or combustion motor, a governor preferably is vemployed for automatically varying the supply of gas and air admitted to run the engine.

To explode; the charges of mixed gas and air after thei same have been compressed in the compression chamber 3? controlled by each rotary valve or abutment 6, a rotary, adjustable igniter preferably is provided. which may be adjusted to secure an accurate timing of the explosion, and which may be adjusted to, vary the time of the explosion as desired.

In order to adapt an engine cox'istructed according to this invention to use continuous ignition 1 preferably construct the pistop 11* with. an opening 13 extending from the front to the back side of the same,

, a check valve being located in this passage or opening.

it is to be understood that one of the pistons is continually encountering an explosive combustible mixture, left in the wake of the other piston which may be referred to as the passive piston. The other pis ton; that is, the active one, is continuously compressing this mixture into the combustion chamber located above the revolving abutment or valve 6. As this compressed charge is discharged against the rear side of the active piston after its passage through the side or end. of the rotary abutment or valve, it is evident that the minute passage or bypass 13 through the active piston, with suitable check valve to prevent the flame back-firing into the ignitible combustible charge being compressed by the front of the active piston, permits a flame to burn continuously at the opening or jet on the'back' side of the active piston. This is due to the fact that a suitable spark is produced in one of'these compressed charges as it was discharged against the rear side of the ac-' tive piston. ,This flame continuously ignites all. gases discharged against this piston in the space between it and the closed rotary valve or abutment. This action continues as long as the engine runs and the advancing side of the piston encounters combustible mixtures.

In order to perfect and insure a more complete combustion of the fuel in an engine constructed according to my invention, when liquid i uel is used, I preferably employ, in combination with a su table vaporizing or spraying devise for commingling the weaves liquid particles with air before entering the engine, a lining of graphite, or othersuit ab e refractory material, which I place 1n each compression chamber 37. This refrao" tory lining attains andmaintains a high temperature due to theheat of combustion and effects a most thorough carbureting and combustion of the commingled air and liquid fuel, igniting the same spontaneously when the point of proper compression is reached, permitting the use of non-volatile liquids for fuel and, when the lining attains the proper temperature, rendering other igniters unnecessary.

- In the above described mechanism, which constitutes the means whereby I accomplish the enumerated objects of my invention in combustion engines, 1 preferably employ two coiiperatlng pistons moving in the annular groove; although Ldo not limit myself to any number as my invention admits of a multiplication or duplication of members if preferred; In action their duty is divided, the first or vacuum piston driving out through the traveling exhaust outlet 30 the spent products of a, previous explosion or combustion; while introducing in the wake of its passage a fresh charge of expansive combustible mixture. The second or expansion piston, in its advance toward a closed abutment, compresses this charge into the compression chamber 37, which the abutment controls, where, by the rotation of said abutment or valve it is confined, the piston meanwhile passing through the valve, whose further rotation closes the annular groove behind it. Immediately thereafter the valve opens communication between the compression chamber and the annular groove behind the said-piston, allowing the charge which is now ignited by any suitable means to expand between the closed abutment and departing piston, impelling it forward. This propulsive expansion continues until the aforesaid expansion piston has reached the effective limit of its travel, and is about to enter and pass through another abutment; at which point the traveling exhaust port 30 opens communication with the atmosphere and the portion of the annular groove 14 in which the expansive action has occurred.

While I have illustrated and describedparting from the scope of the invention as expressed in the claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In an internalcombustion rotary engine, the combination of two pieces, one of which remains fixed while the other rotates, one

f said pieces having a groove and the other of said pieces having a plurality of pistons projecting into the groove, a rotary valve mounted in the groove having a cut-away portion, means for actuatin the valve to present the cutaway portion inwardly at intervals to permit the successive passages of the pistons, and means for supplying fuel to the engine, one face of one plston acting to expel an exploded charge and the other face of the piston' acting ,to draw in a fresh supply of fuel, and one face of another pis- 1 ton acting .to compress a fresh charge and,

the other face of said last named piston re ceiving the impact of the successive explosions, whereby one piston acts as a feed piston and the other piston acts at all times to receive the force of the explosions. I,

2. In an internal combustionrotary engine, the combination of two pieces, one of which remains fixed'while the other rotates, a shaft .on which said pieces are mounted, one of said pieces being provided with a groove having rotary valves. therein, the

other of said pieces having a plurality of pistons fitting into thej'groove, one of the pistons acting to exhaust an exploded charge and drawn fresh charge, while the other of, said pistons compresses a fresh charge and after passing a valve receives the impact of the exploded charge, whereby a complete cycle of operation takes place within the groove, and means for supplying.

'fuel to-the engine through the main shaft thereof.

3. In an internal combustion rotary englne, the combination of two pieces, one of which remains fixed while the other rotates, a shaft upon which the pieces are mounted, one of said pieces having a groove With rotary valves mounted therein, the

'otherof said pieces having a plurality of pistons' extending into the groove, one piston serving to exhaust an exploded charge and todraw in a fresh charge, and another one of said pistons serving to compress a fresh charge and to receive on'its opposite face an impact of the explosion thereof, means for supplying fuel to the engine through its main shaft, and a centrifugal governor controlling the fuel supply. I

4;. In an internal combustion rotary enine the combination of two ieces, a main shaft supporting said pieces, means for lockin either one of the pieces in fixed position w ile the other piece rotates, one of saidpieces being provided with a groove having valves therein, a plurality of pistons extending into the groove from the other piece, and means for supplying fuel to said en 'ine, when one piece is held stationary t e engine rotating in one direction and when the other piece is held stationary the engine rotating in the opposite direction;

5. In a device of the character described,

the combination of'two pieces, a main shaft" supporting said pieces, means for "locking one of the pieces in. fixed position, means for fixing the other to the shaft so that it may rotate therewith, one of said pieces being provided with a groove having valves therein,-and a plurality of pistons extend-' ing into the groove from the other piece.

6. In an internal combustion rotary engine, the combination of two pieces, one of which is held stationary Whi the other rotates, a main shaft uponwhich the pieces are mounted, one of said pieces having a groove, rotary valves mounted in said groove, a plurality of pistons extending from the other piece into said groove, one of said pistons serving to exhaust an explodedmy hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES WALLACE TYGARII Witnesses:

E. A. TYGAno, S. A. TYGARD. 

